Psychology Commons^™

Community Reentry And Juvenile Justice: The Role Of Developmental Science In Legislative Decision-Making, Kristina A. Mcguire

Theses and Dissertations

The goals of the present study were to examine federal and selected state legislation for reentry initiatives within the juvenile justice system using content analysis, including determining if bill language utilized terminology reflecting research or developmental science. Thematic analysis was used to examine publicly available federal documents focused on juvenile justice reentry to understand how policymakers were promoting reentry initiatives. Federal bills and documents from April 1, 2008 to December 31, 2019 and state bills from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2019 for Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa, Missouri, Maryland, New Jersey, Kansas, and Georgia that referenced juvenile justice and …

Acute Stress Disorder In Neonatal Intensiver Care Unit Mothers: Modeling Risk Factors And Trauma Appraisals Modeling, Allison Baylor 5435882

Theses and Dissertations

Postpartum mental health is a public health priority, particularly for mothers with infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), who may have experienced a precipitous birth, followed by a traumatic NICU hospitalization. However, little research has focused on NICUrelated posttraumatic stress (PTSS), despite its presumed prevalence and ripple effects on infant development, family functioning, and provider burnout during the critical early bonding period. In particular, little research has evaluated: early posttraumatic stress (Acute Stress Disorder symptoms, ASD), index and sequential traumas related to NICU/birth, and relations among preexisting risk factors, and trauma appraisals/ objective trauma characteristics (related to infant …

Relationships Among Parkinson’S Disease Symptoms, Stigma, And Mental Health: A Strengths-Based Perspective, Richard S. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

As rates of Parkinson’s disease (PD) increase, so does the need to examine some of the negative social consequences experienced by people with PD. Symptoms of PD have been linked to greater experiences of stigma, and the more visible symptoms of PD increase an individual’s likelihood for experiencing stigmatization and social rejection. Individuals who experience high levels of stigma generally have poorer mental health outcomes. While these relationships are well documented, little is known about whether stigma mediates the relationship between PD symptoms and mental health outcomes. Additionally, some past research suggests that the personal strengths of social support and …

Bidirectional Associations Between Passive And Active Technology Use And Sleep: A Longitudinal Examination In Young Adolescents With And Without Adhd, Elizaveta Bourchtein

Theses and Dissertations

Many adolescents do not receive recommended amounts of sleep, and prevalence rates of sleep problems are particularly high among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). One factor that may contribute to these sleep difficulties is technology use, and there is some evidence that the association between technology use and sleep may be bi-directional. Further, type of technology use (i.e., passive versus active) may be differentially associated with sleep. To date, most studies have evaluated these associations cross-sectionally and relied upon global and subjective ratings of technology use and sleep, which masks important day-to-day variability. The present study evaluated bi-directional associations between …

The Moderating Role Of Developmental Assets On Relations Between Child Maltreatment, Trauma, And Dating Violence, Stephanie A. Hitti

Theses and Dissertations

Teenage dating violence (TDV) is prevalent and associated with an array of psychosocial and health problems. Thus, numerous studies have focused on the identification of risk and protective factors for TDV. Child maltreatment has been consistently identified as a risk factor for TDV victimization and perpetration. However, potential underlying mechanisms that may partially explain the relations between child maltreatment and TDV victimization and perpetration are not well understood. The present study explored indirect relations between child maltreatment and TDV victimization and perpetration via trauma symptoms, and examined whether internal and external developmental assets moderated relations between (a) child maltreatment and …

Work Hope And Work Volition: Exploring The Influence Of Community College Students’ Rurality And Socioeconomic Status, Jesse A. Wingate

Theses and Dissertations

Data from a sample of community college students (N = 478) in Virginia were used to examine relations among rurality, socioeconomic status, work hope, and work volition. Socioeconomic status, work hope, and work volition were positively associated. However, rurality, measured both as a continuous and categorical variable, was not correlated with work hope or work volition. Additional analyses showed convergence between measures of work hope and work volition confirming construct similarity. Results, limitations, implications, and recommendations for future study are included.

Community Input On An Enhanced Care Planning Tool Addressing Health Behaviors, Mental Health Needs, And Social Risks, Kristen O'Loughlin, Hannah Shadowen, Paulette Lail Kashiri, Alex Krist

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Many patients with multiple chronic conditions (MCC) have social risks, mental health needs, and/or unhealthy behaviors. These interfere with their ability to manage their MCC. A care planning tool was created to help address these needs; this study solicited feedback from stakeholder groups and incorporated it into improving the tool.

Methods: Instrument: The Enhanced Care Planning (ECP) tool screens patients for social risks, mental health needs, and unhealthy behaviors. They are shown where their responses revealed risk, then select 1-2 to improve upon. Next, patients set personal goals and select strategies to support them. Patients are supported by …

Life Satisfaction: Measurement Invariance And Correlations With Adolescent Adjustment, Sarah K. Pittman, Robert F. Valois, Albert D. Farrell

Graduate Research Posters

Background

Low life satisfaction during adolescence has been associated with adjustment problems. There are few well-validated measures available to assess adolescents’ life-satisfaction. The purpose of this study was to investigate the structure of the Life Satisfaction Scale, evaluate its measurement invariance across sex and race/ethnicity, and investigate its associations with related constructs.

Methods

Participants were 3,340 adolescents from rural middle schools in Florida. Half the participants were female, 51% were White, 15% were Black, and 22% were Latinx. Adolescents completed the Life Satisfaction Scale, the Children’s Report of Exposure to Violence scale, and the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale.

Results

Confirmatory …

Food Choice As A Signal Of Racial Identity, Danyel Smith, Shawn C.T. Jones, Phd, Nao Hagiwara,Phd

Graduate Research Posters

Objectives: This study experimentally assessed food preference as one potentially important racial identity cue particularly for Black Americans, which in turn impacts interpersonal relations both between ethnicities/races (i.e., inter-group) and within ethnicity/race (i.e., intra-group). We hypothesized that preference for “Soul Food,” which is historically significant to Black Americans, as opposed to “Fresh Salad,” would be associated with stronger racial identity and induce more positive reactions among Black participants but more negative reactions among White participants.

Methods: Undergraduate students (N = 365) viewed one of four online profiles that were ostensibly completed by a Black Student. Student gender (i.e., DeShawn vs. …

Empowering Latina/O Families To Navigate College Access, Maria De Jesus Cisneros-Elias, Gabriela Chavira, Karen Alvarez

Graduate Research Posters

Background

With the education crisis of Latinas/os, it is important to understand ways to increase access to college for the most vulnerable youth (Gándara & Contreras, 2009). To investigate strengths that promote college accessibility in underserved Latina/o families, the current qualitative study assessed the following: (1) Prior to beginning the intervention program and after the intervention program what forms of capital did families possess? (2) How did participating in the program change adolescents’ perception of their parents’ capital? (3) How did adolescents use agency to apply what they learned in college information intervention over time?

Methods

Latina/o parent-adolescent dyads (N …

Legal Status Effects On Parent-Child Relationships And Parent Well-Being, Isis Garcia-Rodriguez, Tamara Ribas-Camargo, Ronald L. Blackwell, Amy K. Marks

Graduate Research Posters

Despite heightened levels of parenting stress and psychological distress experienced by many immigrant-origin families in the United States, little is known about the resiliency of Latinx families, particularly in today’s political climate. This research presents the results of a pilot study examining the effects of legal stressors on parent-child relationships and parent well-being in Latinx immigrant families. Taken from the Latinx Immigrant Family Stories and Strengths project, this mixed-methods study was informed by the integrative risk and resilience model for understanding the adaptation of immigrant-origin children and youth (Suarez-Orozco, Motti- Stefanidi, Marks, & Katsiaficas, 2018). The pilot included a sample …

Predicting Caregiver Burden Over The First 4 Months After Tbi In Latin America: A Multi-Site, Multi-Country Study, Mickeal Pugh Jr., Paul B. Perrin, Yaneth Rodriguez, Silvia Olivera, Maria Cristina Quijano, Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

Graduate Research Posters

Disparities in TBI exist between developed and developing regions, and this neurological condition typically requires caregivers to provide aid and functional support for those with TBI (Hyder, Wunderlich, Puvanachandra, Gururaj, & Kobusingye, 2007). Latin America, among these global regions, has elevated risks of both sustaining TBI and poorer post-TBI functioning (Bonow et al., 2018). Previous literature has shown the poor cognitive, mental health, and social functional outcomes following the injury (Deloche, Dellatolas, & Christensen, 2000), but research has minimally explored both longitudinal trends of these outcomes, and if functional outcomes of the injury differentially predict caregiver burden. The aim of …

Shedding Psychological Light On The Racial Disparities In School Disciplinary Measures: The Role Of Dehumanization As A Potential Mechanism, Ebony Lambert, Nao Hagiwara

Graduate Research Posters

Schools should be safe and supportive spaces for all students, yet Black students tend to face biased treatment in the education system, which often results in harsh disciplinary measures. This research examined the role of animalistic dehumanization (i.e., perceiving others as animal- like and uncultured and denying uniquely human characteristics), in predicting choice of harsher disciplinary measures for Black students as opposed to White students. It was hypothesized that individuals who dehumanize Black students to a greater degree would be more likely to believe that Black students need to be disciplined through harsher measures. Both Study 1 (in which dehumanization …

Multidimensional Recovery Among An Opioid Use Disorder Outpatient Treatment Population, Anna Beth Parlier-Ahmad, Lori Beck, Caitlin E. Martin

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Given the current opioid crisis, recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) warrants attention. SAMHSA’s working definition of recovery highlights dimensions that support recovery including health, home, community, and purpose. Recovery capital captures factors that support recovery within these dimensions and has been associated with recovery outcomes. Prior research highlights possible gender differences in recovery outcomes. Objective: 1) Describe and compare recovery capital among an OUD outpatient treatment population by gender; 2) Identify the relationship between recovery capital and length of time in treatment within this population.

Methods: Patients (n=126) taking medication for OUD at a single outpatient substance use …

Gene-By-Intervention Effects On Alcohol Dependence Symptoms In Emerging Adulthood, Zoe E. Neale, Sally I. Kuo, Fazil Aliev, Peter B. Barr, Jinni Su, Kit K. Elam, Thao Ha, Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant, Danielle M. Dick

Graduate Research Posters

The Importance of Peer Influence for LGBTQ+ Youth in Rural Communities

Aaron Kemmerer

supported by findings from Safe as Yourself (SAY) Project

Traci Wike (PI), Leah Bouchard, Maurico Yabar, and Aaron Kemmerer

Objectives: To explore the experiences and narratives of LGBTQ+ youth in rural North Carolina. To elaborate on the influence of peer support and impact of peer victimization for LGBTQ+ youth in rural North Carolina.

Methods: Data was collected from eleven young people who were interviewed from 2019-2020 at an LGBTQ+ youth center in rural North Carolina. The interviews were coded and analyzed using narrative analysis on a team …

Emotion Regulation And Prosocial Tendencies Mediate The Association Between Parenting Styles And Later Substance Use, Nathaniel Thomas, Marcia Winter, The Spit For Science Working Group, Danielle Dick

Graduate Research Posters

PURPOSE: Substance use is common, heritable, and associated with negative outcomes in emerging adults. Previous work suggests that parenting styles are associated with substance use outcomes. Emotion regulation and prosocial tendencies, such as civic efficacy and engagement with community or school extracurricular activities, are associated with lower levels of substance use and may represent mechanisms of the influence of parenting styles on substance use. The current study examines whether the association between parenting styles and substance use is mediated by emotion regulation and prosocial tendencies in a large sample of emerging adult college students

METHODS: Subjects were drawn from a …

Let’S Talk: A Study Of The Impact Of Gendered Racial Socialization On African American Adolescent Girls’ Mental Health, Lesley Winchester, Keyona Allen, Shawn C. T. Jones, Ph.D, Elan Hope, Ph.D

Graduate Research Posters

Internalized racial oppression in African American girls is understudied within research. As people of color are victimized by racism, they may internalize it, developing ideas, beliefs, actions and behaviors that support or collude with racism (Bivens, 1995). This internalized racism has its own systemic reality and its own negative consequences in the lives and communities of people of color. Understanding the way negative racial messages influence the mental health of African American adolescent girls allows for the development of intervention and prevention methods to reduce symptomology of depression, anxiety, and stress. In order for African American girls and young women …

Is Helping Really Helping? Health-Related Quality Of Life After Tbi Predicting Caregiver Depression Longitudinally In Latin America, Chimdindu Ohayagha, Paul B. Perrin, Mickeal Pugh Jr., Yaneth Rodriguez, Silvia Olivera, Maria Cristina Quijano, Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

Graduate Research Posters

Objective: Studies have shown that functional and psychosocial sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) predict emotional well-being of caregivers (Harris, 2000). Previous research examining the mental health of caregivers and the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with TBI have primarily been in the US (Sander, 2012). Very little research has been conducted to uncover the unique relationships between HRQoL of people with TBI and caregiver mental health longitudinally, or in low-middle income Latin American countries. The aim of this study was to evaluate how HRQoL after TBI predict caregiver depression longitudinally in two countries and three data collection …

Suicidal Ideation And Self-Injury Prevalence And Impairment In An Urban Integrated Primary Care Clinic, Kathryn L. Behrhorst, Bruce Rybarczyk, Ph.D., Heather A. Jones, Ph.D.

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents (Rosenbaum & Ougrin, 2019). Pediatric primary care staff are often the first line of intervention for youth presenting with suicidal thoughts and NSSI (Taliaferro et al., 2013). The primary aim of the current study was to describe reported suicidal ideation, attempts, and NSSI in youth presenting to an urban integrated primary care setting.

Methods: Within an outpatient pediatric primary care clinic, patients were referred by medical staff and introduced to behavioral health services. Patients were asked about their history of suicidal thoughts/attempts and NSSI (Mage = 12.63; SD = …

For I Know The Plans I Have For You: God Locus Of Control, Spiritual Change, And Death Anxiety In Primary Brain Tumor Patients, Kelci D. Willis, Julia Brechbiel, Rachel Boutte, Laurel Kovalchick, Kyra Parker, Audrey Ann Louis Villanueva, Ashlee R. Loughan

Graduate Research Posters

Background/Purpose. Primary brain tumor (PBT) patients risk experiencing death anxiety given the high mortality rate of their diagnosis. In line with Terror Management Theory (TMT), many diagnosed with cancer utilize religion as a method of coping with the disease. However, previous literature on the relation between death anxiety and religion in cancer patients indicates mixed findings of either a negative relationship or no association. To the authors’ knowledge, no study has analyzed these two constructs together in PBT patients. The current study sought to address this gap by investigating the relationship between religiosity and death anxiety in an understudied population. …

Examining Gender Differences In Young Men And Women’S Goals For A Technology-Driven Weight Loss Intervention, Jean M. Reading, Melissa M. Crane, Jessica G. Larose

Graduate Research Posters

Background

Emerging adults (EA) are at high risk for weight gain and obesity yet are underrepresented in behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs and fare worse than their older counterparts when they join these programs. Further, even within BWL programs adapted specifically for this population, young men are particularly challenging to recruit, representing less than 20% of samples in recent trials. One hypothesis for the poor recruitment of men is that men’s goals for a weight loss program are not described in recruitment messages for these studies. Understanding whether men and women’s personal goals for participating in a weight loss program …

The Associations Between Sexual Victimization And Health Outcomes Among Lgbqa College Students: Examining The Moderating Role Of Social Support, Eryn Delaney, Chelsea Derlan Williams, Della V. Mosley, Sage E. Hawn, Danielle M. Dick, Phd

Graduate Research Posters

Sexual victimization is a prevailing public health concern that differentially impacts sexual minority populations (i.e., people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, or queer) compared with their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts (McCauley et al., 2018). Studies have shown that sexual violence is associated with depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, and alcohol use (Aosved et al., 2011; Bedard-Gilligan et al, 2011; Carey et al., 2018) among heterosexual college students. However, we know less about the potential effects of sexual victimization on health outcomes among sexual minority college students. Understanding these relations are especially important because sexual minority college students …

Empirical Relationships Among Trauma Exposure, Anxiety Sensitivity, And Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sandra Yankah, Michael Southam-Gerow, Samantha Dehart, Payton Beam

Graduate Research Posters

This review synthesized and critically reviewed empirical studies that assessed relationships among trauma exposure, anxiety sensitivity (AS), and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Across the literature, the prominent theory conceptualized anxiety sensitivity as a causal risk factor within two competing models. One model posited that individuals with dispositionally high AS prior to experiencing a potentially traumatizing event (PTE) have a greater likelihood of developing PTSD after trauma exposure. The second model theorized that the introduction of a PTE raises an individual’s baseline level of AS, leading to the development and maintenance of PTSD symptoms. Emerging research highlighted the possibility of …

Daily Sleep Quality Is Associated With Daily Cognition In Late-Life, Emily K. Donovan, Joseph M. Dzierzewski, Constance H. Fung, Karen R. Josephson, Cathy A. Alessi, Jennifer L. Martin

Graduate Research Posters

Background: Older adults often face sleep disturbance or cognitive decline that goes beyond the scope of normal aging. The present study examined the relationship between self-reported sleep quality and self-reported daytime attention in a community-dwelling sample of older men at the between-persons and within-persons levels of association.

Methods: Thirty-eight participants (M age =75.36 years, SD age =7.51 years, range=66-90 years) completed a twice-daily sleep diary for one week. Sleep quality and attention were assessed using a single-item 0-10 rating scales from the morning diary (“How was the quality of your sleep last night?”) and from the evening diary (“How was …

Screening For Cognitive Impairment In Primary Brain Tumor Patients: A Preliminary Investigation With The Mmse And Rbans, Farah Aslanzadeh, M.S., Sarah Braun, M.S, Julia Brechbiel, M.S., Kelcie Willis, M.S., Kyra Parker, Autumn Lanoye, Phd, Ashlee Loughan, Phd

Graduate Research Posters

Introduction: The prevalence of mild cognition impairment (MCI) among older adults (≥65) is estimated to range between 10-20% (Langa & Levine, 2014). Integrated primary care allows opportunities for interdisciplinary consultation, screening, and intervention. The aim of this study is to explore the percentage of older adults reporting cognitive concerns during their first primary care psychology visits. It is hypothesized that these rates will mirror prevalence rates in other older adult community dwelling samples in primary care settings.

Methods: A patient sample of older adults (≥60) was introduced to services following a referral from their primary care physician. Clinicians then identified …

Contextual Emotion Expression: Profiles Of African American Report In The Family And On Campus, Deon Brown, Fantasy Lozada, Zewelanji Serpell, Vivian Dzokoto

Graduate Research Posters

Background: African American culture has long been known for its emphasis on emotion expression (Boykin, 1986). However, African Americans have learned to restrict emotion publicly due to pervasive stereotypes (Consedine & Magai, 2002). It’s likely that such behavior is learned in the family, in which parents alert children to racial discrimination that is typically associated with context (Dunbar et al., 2017). Thus, African Americans are likely to vary emotion expression according to context. The current study explored emotion expression in the family and public context.

Methods: 188 African American/Black college students from 3 different types of college campuses. The sample …

Understanding The Contributions Of Discrepant Parent-Adolescent Views Of Parenting Practices And Peer Deviance To Adolescent Problem Behavior: A Cross-Lagged Polynomial Regression Approach, Mallory Stephenson

Theses and Dissertations

The present study used autoregressive cross-lagged models to examine the processes through which peer deviance and discrepant parent-adolescent views of monitoring-related communication, involvement, and positive parenting influence one another and contribute to physical and relational aggression, substance use, and delinquency. Participants included 535 adolescents (64% male) who were identified as prone to aggression and socially influential by their sixth-grade teachers during the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 school years; participants self-identified as African American (69%), Hispanic (14%), White (9%), Multiracial (5%), or another race (3%). Contrary to expectations, parent-adolescent reporting discrepancies were not related to peer deviance, physical aggression, substance use, and …

“Is Therapy For Me?” Perceptions Of Therapy Inclusivity And Willingness To Seek Help Among Black Emerging Adults, Randl B. Dent

Theses and Dissertations

Mental health issues are prevalent among Black emerging adults; however, they tend to underutilize mental healthcare services. The goals of the current study were to examine whether: (1) perceived therapy inclusivity would predict willingness to utilize mental healthcare services and (2) the relationship between perceived therapy inclusivity and willingness would be moderated by two indices of racial identity (i.e., centrality and private regard). Results provide evidence that greater perceptions of therapy inclusivity are associated with greater willingness to seek mental health services even after controlling for factors, such as gender, self-stigma, and previous mental healthcare utilization. Additionally, there was no …

A Randomized Trial Of Cbt4cbt For Women In Residential Treatment For Substance Use Disorders, Sydney S. Kelpin

Theses and Dissertations

Women with substance use disorders (SUD) face unique barriers to substance use treatment, and as a result, are less likely than their male counterparts to seek treatment for the disorder. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based treatment known to reduce relapse rates by teaching clients to recognize and respond to their cues for substance use. Recent research suggests CBT may be particularly of benefit to women. Despite the effectiveness of CBT, its dissemination in clinical practice is limited due to a range of barriers (e.g., time, cost). Computer-based training for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT) offers an opportunity to improve …

Phenotype Extraction: Estimation And Biometrical Genetic Analysis Of Individual Dynamics, Kevin L. Mckee

Theses and Dissertations

Within-person data can exhibit a virtually limitless variety of statistical patterns, but it can be difficult to distinguish meaningful features from statistical artifacts. Studies of complex traits have previously used genetic signals like twin-based heritability to distinguish between the two. This dissertation is a collection of studies applying state-space modeling to conceptualize and estimate novel phenotypic constructs for use in psychiatric research and further biometrical genetic analysis. The aims are to: (1) relate control theoretic concepts to health-related phenotypes; (2) design statistical models that formally define those phenotypes; (3) estimate individual phenotypic values from time series data; (4) consider hierarchical …